Consider Virginia, the state whose motto is, "Thus always to tyrants," adopted in 1776. Consider a realtor in Virginia who signs off on her e-mails with phrases like "Jesus Loves You." Going further, she includes on her website the most famous text from the Bible, John 3:16.
A few short years ago, even within the memory of most of the younger generation in Virginia, such inclusions would have been looked upon with approval or, at the very least, indifference. But that day is history in Virginia.
Because of the inclusion of Scripture and a few statements based on the same in her correspondence and her website, the Virginia Real Estate Board, a state agency, filed a complaint against her, accusing her of violating Virginia’s fair housing statutes.
The basis of the filing is that somebody, somewhere, who reads those words might feel that she and the realty company are practicing discrimination. That is, that someone somewhere might "feel" a certain way. (The filing of this complaint indicates that rationality is not part of the mental landscape of the state agency bringing it.)
Another key word is "might," as in someone, somewhere might feel a certain way. But in all her years, no one has ever felt that way; no one has ever brought such a complaint against her. Her livelihood has now been threatened and is in jeopardy.
The word "feel" is also problematic to the Virginia Real Estate Board. A quick look at the Bill of Rights will show that the right not to feel discriminated against, not to feel disrespected, and not to feel insulted is not in the document. If there is someone somewhere who doesn't want to hear that Jesus loves them and get their feelings hurt, it would be a simple matter to turn to the Yellow Pages or search their computers to find another realtor who won't tell them that Jesus loves them.
This is yet one more indication that it's getting spiritually darker out there in the world-system which goes to irrational lengths to leave God out.
But, guess what? There's nothing new under the sun. Two thousand years ago, the self-pious and self-holy Sadducees, a "state agency" in Israel tried to do the same thing to Peter and John whom they had arrested. Upon interrogating them and after meeting sub rosa, they told the two apostles "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." (Acts 4)
The question is, how does one give the gospel without saying the name "Jesus?" They must identify who the Savior is. Had the disciples obeyed the decree, it would have meant the end of witnessing for Christ which was the Sadducees' intent from the beginning.
That's the way it is with the world-system, the Sadducees or the Virginia State Realty Board, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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